


where the lovelight gleams

by Beesnbats



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, I'm dying squirtle, M/M, Winter, no death just soft, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 22:42:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17130077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beesnbats/pseuds/Beesnbats
Summary: Eiji can’t help the warmth of breath escaping through his lips on a soft sigh. It’s unfair, really. Every tentative curve of a grin and blonde eyelashes framing green eyes has been making him sigh a lot lately.





	where the lovelight gleams

Eiji can’t help the warmth of breath escaping through his lips on a soft sigh. It’s unfair, really. Every tentative curve of a grin and blonde eyelashes framing green eyes has been making him sigh a lot lately.

He focuses his attention briefly towards the fluffy snowflakes dancing in the spotlights of the street lamps. They float through the stream of light then back into the navy void of space around them. This little pocket of residential homes, the snow piling up quietly on the roads and rims of fences surrounding gingerbread houses caked in icicle lights. This was his idea – to go on a walk and appreciate the festive lights while his hand rests in the grip of a warm glove. The city noises are muffled in the distance, the snow acting as a sound buffer between the hustle and bustle and two bundled, walking figures. Eiji arches his neck back a bit to rub it against the back of his scarf causing dusts of snowflakes to melt onto his skin. He shivers only slightly and sighs gently. Again.

“You cold?”

Ash is turning a bit to look at Eiji by his side, his grip tightening comfortingly through wool gloves. The yellow glow of a street lamp overhead casts a soft halo around his hair. Eiji inhales a breath of crisp air. “Yeah, it is getting a bit colder than I expected,” he breathes out. “It is snowing a lot. How are you, Ash?”

“Eh, doesn’t really bother me too much,” he responds with a teasing smile. “I’m invincible to the cold.” Eiji laughs and kicks some snow at him with no real effort. “Hey!”

They continue down the sidewalk. Everything seems so soft at this hour in winter time. Whatever ambient noise the night life could offer is muted through the piles of snow. All Eiji can really hear is the light crunch under their feet and the occasional breeze against his face.

The Christmas lights gleam throughout the street and Eiji takes a moment to really admire the handiwork some of these people put into their festive displays.

“These are really pretty,” he muses as they approach a particularly decked out home. Ash hums softly in response as they slow their pace a bit. Eiji’s eyes glance towards Ash in time to see that he is gazing at him before quickly averting his green eyes back to the house before them. Eiji doesn’t look away and instead turns his whole head to look at him.

Ash’s profile is backlit by the bright gleams of dotted lights down the avenue. A line of gold light outlines the curvature of his nose down to his chin. Snowflakes are settling onto his blonde hair and the shoulder of his coat. His eyes are looking toward the displays of lights, but they seem to be focused on something far away. Something or somewhere Eiji isn’t sure he can reach.

Eiji releases Ash’s gloved hand and reaches up. He begins to brush the top of his hair, snowflakes falling or melting away delicately. The small gesture causes Ash to draw his gaze over to him.

“I think you should have brought a hat.” Eiji sighs as he tries to keep more snowflakes from accumulating onto Ash’s shoulders.

The corner of Ash’s mouth turns upwards as his eyes smile down at him. He brings a hand up to play with the corner of Eiji’s hat. “What like you, who didn’t even think to bring gloves?”

“I – I just could not find mine!”

Ash grins a little at the defensive answer and pulls one of his gloves off.

“Here,” he says, offering it to him. “Put this on.”

Eiji looks down at the glove. “But, uh, Ash then you will only have one on?”

Ash holds it out a bit further. “Just wear it.”

Eiji stares at him questioningly as he takes the glove and starts to slip it on. It’s soft while also being a bit itchy. The wool is still warm from hugging around Ash’s hand and that makes him feel warm in his chest.

“There,” Eiji declares softly, raising his now gloved hand up to show him. “Happy now?”

Ash simply grabs his ungloved hand with his own. Eiji’s fingers fidget as Ash presses their hands close. He exhales, a light puff exiting his lips.

“Yeah,” Ash answers him quietly. Eiji isn’t sure if it the cold or not, but Ash’s cheeks seem to have a flushed shade of pink. He bites his lower lip a little and they start to walk down the snowy sidewalk again. Unfair.

Pools of light orange pattern the path from the lamps above while snow continues to flutter like confetti, celebrating the peaceful evening.

But Eiji can’t help but wish that maybe, just maybe, the snow wouldn’t make it seem so quiet because his heart seems incredibly loud to him, and it’s starting to make him overthink, and he’s sure his palm must feel so sweaty in Ash’s hand, and he’s just about to break the silence himself when –

_THWUMP_

Eiji has little time to react besides let out a small yelp when a cluster of snow ungracefully collapses onto him from a weighted down tree branch above. It’s freezing and slipping down his neck causing him to let go of Ash’s hand while he shudders to shake off his scarf.

He can hear Ash trying to keep a chuckle caught in his throat, but he’s doing a miserable job as Eiji frantically swipes away any half-melted snow off the nape of his neck.

“Oh God, are you okay?” Ash asks, unable to hide the mirth with his concern.

Eiji tightens his lips and begins to crouch down. Ash, starts at this and begins to follow him. “Whoa, hey. Eiji, I’m serious. Are you alright?”

Eiji answers him with a handful of snow against the back of his neck.

“Jesus- “, Ash flinches and recoils with an unbelieving smile. Eiji smirks and lets out a mischievous chuckle.

“Look who is so invincible to the cold now, Ash.”

“Oh, you play dirty, Eiji,” Ash grins bending down and swiping up a handful of snow.

 _Whoops_. Eiji barely dodges the cloud of powder thrown towards him as he begins to scoop up another attack. He feels like he’s eleven again when he used to tease his sister on their way back from school when there was a snowfall.

His thoughts are interrupted as another snowball successfully hits his shoulder. He aims his hunk of snow towards Ash’s figure, readies his arm behind him and catapults it forward. _Bullseye!_ The snow disperses a bit in the air but most of it meets his target on Ash’s right side.

A few more heaps of snow are exchanged until Eiji finally holds up his hands in defeat, “Okay, you win, you win!” He laughs, a bit breathless.

“You may have started this war Eiji, but I am going to finish it.” Ash taunts playfully, but he pats his hands against his jeans to dry them as he looks up and gives Eiji a close-lipped smile.

Eiji smiles back and sniffs. He cups his hands in front of his mouth and blows breath on them. They’re feeling pretty cold now. Even his gloved hand is damp and the chill is starting to get to him. “Maybe that was not the smartest idea,” he sheepishly admits, grinning behind his fingers.

“Hm, maybe,” Ash agrees. His eyes turn down to watch Eiji gripping his fingers tightly in front of him. Then, Eiji just watches, still, as he gently reaches to touch his hand. He lets Ash take it into his own, his thumb pressed kindly into Eiji’s palm. And that’s what this feels like. All of it. It’s so kind, and Eiji is always feeling his chest tighten just a little at how this person before him could be so kind. He’s careful. But he’s also the strongest person Eiji’s ever met and it draws another sigh from him that he didn’t realize he was holding until there’s an obvious puff of air visible before him.

“Ash, thank you for being here with me,” he manages to whisper out.

Ash rubs his finger into Eiji’s palm, looking at their hands held together, “It’s no big deal. It’s not too much trouble to just come out and look at some lights with you, y’know.”

“No. I mean,” Eiji replies and Ash looks up at him. “Thank you. For being here.”

He lets out another soft sigh, “With me.”

Ash’s lashes seem to flutter as he registers what Eiji just said and he blinks. This time, he lets out a content sigh and steps a bit closer.

Keeping their hands together he uses his free one to rest on Eiji’s neck. It’s a bit chilly from the snow, and Eiji feels a shiver down his spine, but he lets his head rest against the crook of Ash’s neck. His breath feels damp against his skin, and he reaches his free hand behind Ash to grip the back of his coat. His heart thrums in his ears and it’s almost like they aren’t even in New York. They stand there, holding each other while all this snow is piling up around them, walling them in, and it’s quiet. And it’s warm.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic ever. (I'm an artist not a writer haha) there are probably many mistakes and it might be confusing but I had a lot of fun trying my hand at writing. maybe I'll try it again sometime. inspired by the many lights around Christmas and the feeling of being outside with snow at nighttime. I hope I conveyed how soft these themes make me feel through this little fic. (p.s. the title is a lyric from I'll be home for Christmas because I love to die!)


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